I have the G3, which is similar. I love it. It is quite accurate---always has been within a couple yards of yardage plates on the courses I've seen. The map coverage is fairly good and all the courses are free. There is no provision for mapping points on an unsupported course, however.

The interface is pretty straightforward. You can touch the screen to get yardage to intermediate points on the course or to position the pin on the green.

It does measure shots, but they made an unfortunate choice to put this on a separate screen rather than in a corner of the main screen. To measure a shot means taking it out of screen lock, going two menus away, then pressing reset. When you've measured the shot, you then have to navigate back. It doesn't take long, but it means some fiddling.

It uses AA batteries, which is a huge plus in my opinion. It means you can carry spares. You want to get some rechargables for sure---they aren't only rechargable, but last much longer in a high-drain device like this. It does add $30-$50 to the cost if you don't already have the charger, but I think it's worth it.

Mechanically it is extremely rugged and feels like it could survive a drop (not that I'm going to test that).

Stat-wise, the G3 can keep scores for up to 4 golfers. I don't use this much, but it's well-integrated, automatically detecting when you reach the next tee box and prompting for the scores at an appropriate time. I believe the G5 also tracks some other stats, like perhaps club distances, but I haven't used it.

One thing I like is that when you plug it in to your computer via USB, it shows up as a drive. You can drag files onto it and poke around---there's even a text file that lets you set a greeting message that shows up when it boots. This isn't necessary from a functionality perspective, but as a geek it's a nice touch.

The only other thing that annoys me is that sometimes it's tricky to get it into or out of screen lock. If you forget, you can wind up with it navigating around in your pocket. But all things considered, I love the device and I'm sure the G5 is great as well.

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After I got my G5 last spring i gave my laser to my brother - didn't need it any more. The G5 gives me all the info I need, including distances to
ALL
hazards, doglegs - even shows tree locations. Nothing else is necessary.

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The latest (October) software upgrade provides tracking for all types of things. You can measure each shot. When you get to the ball, tell it what club you hit. Over time it will learn what club you hit based on your current distance and tell you what club to play. It will track GIR, fairways hit, number of putts, scores for 4 people etc. Love mine.

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I will never give up my G5. Garmin has produced an excellent product. Measurements are dead on with laser measurements 99 percent of the time ( always within a yard or two ), and it tracks all the stats I need it to. The user interface is simple... and the free course map updates are a nice touch. It will measure distances for each club, and calculate your average distance with each. I don't see any reason to buy anything else. Especially when you consider there is no monthly / annual fee. Best product available, in my opinion.

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I have a G3 and love it. I use Lithium instead of rechargeable batteries, but other than that I agree with above. It's dead-on accurate, extremely rugged, and very easy to use. I don't track stats with it

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Anyone know what selecting the different battery types actualy does ? What does the G5 do differently if you have alkaline versus recharable versus lithium battery selected. I would assume power consumption is different but my experience is that most of the hand held gps units perform best with fresh batteries or in other words, maximum power. So if choosing one battery type over the other somehow decreased power consumption, you are also decreasing accuracy to some degree. I would rather replace more batteries and maintain accuracy then conserve power at the expense of accuracy.

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Anyone know what selecting the different battery types actualy does ? What does the G5 do differently if you have alkaline versus recharable versus lithium battery selected. I would assume power consumption is different but my experience is that most of the hand held gps units perform best with fresh batteries or in other words, maximum power. So if choosing one battery type over the other somehow decreased power consumption, you are also decreasing accuracy to some degree. I would rather replace more batteries and maintain accuracy then conserve power at the expense of accuracy.

I believe setting the battery type is just used to calculate the battery life remaining display. It's possible that it makes other changes, since e.g., NiMH are able to provide higher current than alkalines, but I don't believe it does this.

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I read about 7 pages of the comments on this interesting topics, but not all (yet), so forgive me if I am duplicating something already said.
I voted that physical is most important to golf and I agree that it is most important by far. But,what good players view as physical, and I don't blame them for viewing this as such, can also largely be a mental issue for less skilled players. Things that are automatic for some, are not yet so for others and they need to think about those first, or they don't have a chance... I won't compare a player to another one, but instead one player (namely me) at different times, yet in similar conditions.
* Can someone tell me why I shot 75 and 111 less than a week apart (the 111 was on a more difficult course but still... it was the highest score in probably 8-10 years for me)? I was the same guy with the same physical abilities, but I made really poor choices, compounded errors with more errors and in the process lost the swing completely: shanks, tops, thins, etc... The silver lining was putting which is and remained my strength, even on that day...
* Can someone tell me why the first time my name was called on a tee box in an official Norcal (NCGA) tournament, I was shaking so badly, I nearly whiffed my drive which ended in a terrible spot, causing me to re-tee? It's some form of pressure, one I was totally unfamiliar with and which no longer affects me that badly. However, even at the highest level in golf, think Ryder Cup, the first tee shot is the most nerve wracking shot, for most people. You might say pressure is physical (tension, shaking, sweating, etc...), but it is controlled by the mind and by experience, so one can train for it, to some extent: breathing exercises, putting drills that force you to hole out x shots in a row or you start from scratch, playing worst ball with oneself, for example...
* Can someone tell me why in casual rounds and less so in competitive rounds, I sometimes forget my pre-shot routine and don't put myself behind the ball and then step in, but rather just step in and hit a great shot, 10 degrees offline to the left? Lack of focus and/or discipline, which is a mental error, leading to a physical one (being lined up wrong)
* Can someone tell me why, all of sudden, I completely lost any ability I previously had to hit fairway woods (there is another thread in "Instruction and Playing Tips" about this? I think I finally got it back, and while the practical cause is physical, the real root of the problem is mental. Not checking the ball position, hanging back because of it and losing balance (to my heels) in the process. All physical problems that can be overcome by an assertive mind.
Also, what about the power of visualization? Look at Jason Day actively and consciously closing his eyes prior to any swing. Also, do you see in your mind the line a well struck putt is going to take? I do, and unless my read is completely off (it happens once in a while, or the putt flattens at the hole and I didn't read that), for the most part that's what happens.
There is no doubt that our conscious and unconscious mind drives all physical activity and perhaps we qualify everything unconscious as physical and the swing certainly is too fast to consciously drive it in its minute details, but the conscious mind also has a role in controlling the outcome. YMMV.